1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to blower assemblies, and more particularly to a portable, upstanding, filtering blower assembly for use in drying the human body.
2. History of the Related Art
The use of air drying systems for drying objects and individuals has been common for decades. These systems include industrial dryers of the type typically seen in car-washes as well as smaller, personal hair dryers of the hand-held variety. Hair dryers typically comprise hand-held structures housing a motor that powers a fan for driving air over a heating coil and permitting the discharge of warm air therefrom. The hand held units are generally effective for sending a column of warm air into the hair of the user for removing moisture therefrom. Similarly, industrial dryers discharge high volumes of air of varying temperatures over or through the objects being dried. The manner in which moisture is removed is well-known. The moisture which is present on the object, such as strands of hair, is met by the relatively high velocity air which causes the moisture to pass into a vapor phase and evaporate. This is equally true of small strands of hair and large automobiles. The moisture is evaporated in one phase by causing it to form a thin meniscus on the object being dried. The meniscus is exposed to the dry air and evaporates by way of partial pressure differentials. This evaporation phenomenon has been utilized and proven quite effective for commercial and residential dryers for many decades.
In many instances the drying of hair is directly associated with bathing of the human body. Hair is often washed while showering. Typically, the hand held hair dryers are not used for the human body because of the larger surface area and the non-uniform drying of the body with such a small column of air. Notwithstanding the above, the usefulness of hair drying is well-recognized. It is more sanitary and oftentimes more comfortable than towels. Sanitary conditions and personal hygiene are, in current times, a very critical issue because diseases can be transmitted by bodily fluids. Studies have shown that the germs present in a towel after drying of the human body can be significant and must be considered in hospitals and the like. Individuals who are likewise concerned about sanitary conditions, cleanliness and personal hygiene may also find the usefulness of warm air drying to be an advantage. For this reason, blowers have been developed for drying the entire human body.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,594,797, 4,756,094 and 4,685,222 all relate to air towels. The blowers therein utilize forced air produced in a chamber that has an elongate output port. The forced air is often heated for the comfort of the user affording a sanitary means for drying the human body without towels. While advantageous in the advance over the prior art, these patents further manifest the need for improved drying systems in today's health conscious, mobil environment. It would be an advantage, therefore, to provide a body drying unit that is portable and may be installed in both residential bathrooms as well as commercial locker rooms, such as health clubs, golf courses and the like for the convenience of those who have showered. In this manner, the major use of towels may be eliminated with sanitary improvements in the shower or locker room operation. It would likewise be an advantage to have a free-standing blower unit which does not require separate wall mountings and/or other building modifications, such as in shower areas for the use thereof. Such a system would have to be safe, reliable, convenient and portable.
The present invention provides such an advance over the prior art by providing a portable, air filtering drying unit that may be positioned on any of a variety of surfaces for the discharge of temperature controlled air in a large, uniform stream. The unit is constructed with a decreasing volumetric plenum configuration for stabilizing uniform air flow in a safe and reliable fashion.